Rose cut down by Rory's birdie blitz

James Corrigan, Dubai

RORY McIlroy's five finishing birdies to win the DP World Tour Championship inevitably jogged the memory of Ian Poulter's feat at the Ryder Cup two months ago.

But Luke Donald was reminded of another golfer. ''That was like Tiger Woods in his prime,'' said the Englishman.

Any hyperbole could be excused after this spectacular climax to an equally spectacular year by the Northern Irishman in which he established himself as golf's supreme powerhouse. ''Five birdies isn't the worst way to finish the season, is it?'' said McIlroy.

Indeed, it was not, particularly when it emerged that a doctor had been called to his hotel room on Saturday night to treat him for dizziness brought on by the virus he has suffered all week.

It was billed as the battle between the world No. 1 and 2, but as Donald faded, plagued once again by a sinus problem he will now have fixed, Justin Rose emerged as McIlroy's rival.

Poor Rose. He shot a course record 10-under 62 to move two ahead of McIlroy and headed for the practice ground in case the 23-year-old could claw back the deficit. McIlroy did rather more than that, with birdies of chilling clinicality to prevail by two shots.

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''I thought I had him - but he's class,'' said Rose.

In fact, he's a class above. As Donald was generous enough to concede. ''To be able to do that, when he needed to, is the sign of a great,'' said Donald, forced to share third place with Charl Schwartzel.

''It shows us all how hard we will have to work to stay up with him.''

For McIlroy, victory earned him the £840,000 ($1.28 million) winner's cheque to go with the £640,000 bonus from winning the Race to Dubai. But when a superstar has as much money as he does it was about far more than the bounty.

This was his fifth title of a season in which he won his second major, both the US and European money lists and established a commanding lead at the top of the rankings.

Rose's display leapfrogged him to world No. 4, above his compatriot Lee Westwood. His caddie, Mark Fulcher, labelled it ''the best round I'd ever seen in my life''.

The highlight on his card was the eagle on the 626-yard 14th, which came courtesy of an approach to five feet. Yet it was the 90-foot putt on the 18th which created the biggest noise.

As Rose said: ''It was a zero or hero attempt.'' He played the outrageous break, allowing it to trickle down off the slope to within an inch. ''I got goosebumps - I thought it was in,'' Rose said.

For McIlroy the challenge was obvious. He had just birdied the 14th and short par-four 15th and was one behind. He duly holed a 20-footer on the 16th to level, hit a five-iron 220-yards to five feet on the 17th to move one ahead and then played safe up the 18th.

No matter, he still holed the 12-footer to complete the quintet. And now he heads for a seven-week break and will accustom himself to his new clubs, before re-emerging to take on Tiger Woods at Abu Dhabi.